1. Field of the Invention
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. provisional application No. 60/381,798, filed May 21, 2002.
The present invention relates to a device and method for applying a product, for example, a cosmetic product, wherein the device may include a flocked application surface.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of devices and methods for applying a product, for example, a make-up product, applicators may include a flocked application surface, for example, for applying mascara, eyeliner, lip gloss, etc. Some of those applicators may be generally covered with one type of fiber, the characteristics of which may be selected as a function of, for example, the product to be applied.
Applicators covered with flocking having a single type of fiber, however, have a number of drawbacks. On the one hand, since the fibers of the flocking are identical, they may form a relatively uniform application surface. On the other hand, since the fibers may be implanted very close together, they may not form spaces between the fibers, which may substantially prevent a large amount of product from being held at the application surface. The resulting applicator may therefore have a very dense application surface, which may prevent it from retaining a sufficient amount of product at the application surface and which may prevent it from delivering a large amount of product on the surface to be made up. Furthermore, because the application surface may be very thickly flocked, the relatively small amount of product applied on the surface to be made up may often be removed by the fibers as the applicator passes over it. This may render it very difficult to obtain a strong make-up effect with this type of applicator. Moreover, when fibers with a relatively large diameter are used, the resulting application surface may be relatively hard and may tend to irritate the surface to be made up. On the other hand, when using fibers with a relatively small diameter, which may allow for a gentler application, the applicator may not be able to retain a sufficient amount of product and may not therefore deposit enough of the product on the surface to be made up.
One subject of the invention relates to providing an application device that may not have one or more of the aforementioned problems of the prior art. For example,                one subject of the invention relates to providing an application device that may render it possible to obtain a relatively strong make-up effect while having a relatively soft application surface. Another subject of the invention relates to producing an application device that may be used for applying various types of products simply by modifying the types of fibers of the flocking that may substantially cover the application surface.        
Although the present invention may obviate one or more of the above-mentioned needs, it should be understood that some aspects of the invention might not necessarily obviate one or more of those needs.